Calligraphy Pens

Calligraphy, which comes from the Greek words for 'beauty' and 'writing', is the art of writing. Calligraphy has been present in human civilisation throughout the world for thousands of years, and has shown its tenacity by surviving to this modern age. It has played a part in many different cultures, and has become a most satisfying hobby as many people take up pen and ink to create beautiful greetings cards, birthday cards and wedding invitations. Anyone can learn calligraphy, and creating such beautiful lettering really does give a great sense of achievement.

At The Online Pen Company we stock a multitude of calligraphy items such as marker pens, dip pens, beginner and intermediate sets with the availability of different nibs. We believe ourselves to be among the best online shops for calligraphy pens UK. A vast majority of our calligraphy pens and accessories come from Manuscript, who have been specialists in creating premium quality calligraphy equipment for many years. In addition to this fantastic calligraphy specialist, many of our fountain pens are available with italic, oblique or flat calligraphy nibs; the majority of our LAMY pens in particular come with the option of 1.1, 1.5 and 1.8mm calligraphy nibs.

We have a couple of suggestions to offer to help you find what you are looking for. If you are a beginner looking for an all-in-one package, we would recommend the Manuscript Masterclass Calligraphy Pen Set, which offers everything required for a beginner to get started. If you are a more experienced calligrapher then perhaps something like the Manuscript Victoriana Calligraphy Set, a sealing kit which offers one beautiful marbled calligraphy pen, ink and a pair of wax candles with a seal.

A top-quality calligraphy set for beginners and master calligraphers. Includes a traditional wooden dip pen with six assorted calligraphy nibs, ideal for creating a spectrum of creative writing styles.

An guided calligraphy gift set for junior writers, including a tutorial booklet, dip pen holder with three assorted nib sizes, calligraphy booklet and a blue ink bottle. A superb introduction for beginner writers.

The History of Calligraphy

Calligraphy first originated during the Stone Age. Letters didn’t exist back then, but things were commonly described by making pictures, as the major events of a caveman’s life were often described by the caveman on the walls of the cave in the form of pictorial representation.

The art of making pictures modernised along with the development of humans. Egyptians played a large role in the development of drawing pictures and around 3600 B.C, the hieroglyphics were born.These symbols were used inside tombs of the pharaohs or painted with brushes across a special, papyrus paper.

Following the Egyptians, around 1000 B.C, the Phoenicians created what is now believed to be one of the first alphabets and writing systems.The alphabet influenced the Greeks a lot, causing them to later develop their own kind of writing which eventually led the Romans had adapted to suit the Latin language.

Throughout the Middle Ages the monks constituted the only literate members of society, so they started to write ancient text in books. Since paper was costly at that time, the monks discovered a new style of Calligraphy which accommodated more words to a single line. This new style was known, named Gothic, lasted as a popular scribing technique throughout the Middle Ages.

Based on the Gothic style of the monks, in the 15th century, Johannes Gutenberg discovered the printing press. This allowed books to be printed much faster and although the use of printing press was in high demand, handwriting skills were also well sought after.. During this time, Italians invented the italic script, which became popular throughout most of Europe.

Almost one hundred years later, artistic penmanship was in a steep decline.

In 19th century, flat-edge pens that were once used were replaced by fountain pens and steel pens. It became difficult to achieve the once beautiful curves of calligraphy with these replaced pens due to their rounded tips and the value of calligraphy was going to disappear. That is, until British poet and artist, William Morris, spearheaded a calligraphic revival in the mid-19th century. He reintroduced the flat edged pen and elevated the act of writing to the art form of its past.

At first it appeared that the art of calligraphy couldn’t possibly withstand the competition from the 20th century’s most important invention – the computer. With a click of the mouse, a list of various scripts are generated electronically, worrying to those true to the art form. Despite the ability of computers, calligraphy is still flourishing more than ever with calligraphic societies throughout the world, with new styles being created each and every day.

A calligrapher’s pen is very important to write a new style of handwriting, which is why we stock a wide range of calligraphy pens and sets here at The Online Pen Company.